poverty

May 05, 2015

I started volunteering one day a week in a women’s prison in 2008. I was familiar with the kinds of life story I might encounter, but was blown away by the sheer volume of them. As I listened to story after story of abuse, loss, bereavement, pain, I felt huge sadness. I still do. Then for a while I was angry that these much-abused, brutalised women were being further brutalised by the harsh prison regime, which does little to reduce their likelihood of reoffending. I’m still angry. And then, despite all my best efforts not to, I got political.

I really didn’t want to… Like REALLY. I’d grown up around a lot of politics and it certainly wasn’t what I was planning on doing. No, I was changing hearts and minds through theatre, community projects, grassroots activism. But in the course of my frontline work, I could no longer stomach the themes of inequality and structural barriers to people being able to excel and to become all that God intended them to be. For example, 24% of people in prison grew up in local authority care. That isn’t a fair start in life, is it? In almost every story childhood neglect, poverty, drug addiction loomed large – I was forced to zoom out and look at why some people know loads of people in prison and others know no-one.

Prisons are mostly run by the state and they could be doing a far better job than they are. Decisions are made about who goes to them, how big they are, what happens in them by the state. These are decisions taken by politicians that have an impact on the lives of thousands. For example: a minister decides to shut a prison. The woman’s family now have to travel a further 50 miles to visit her, so they can only now come once a month and not once a fortnight to visit. She has a huge response to this news, self-harms and is put on suicide watch. That political decision and the ideology behind it has an impact in the real world. As people passionate about social justice, about valuing each person the way God does, we can make an impact at grass roots level and in Westminster. We can’t simply go on witnessing trauma and pain without starting further upstream and looking at the root causes of injustice.

Ultimately, I’d love to see the women I work with on those green benches in parliament. Women who are full of strength and kindness, who care about the hungry and homeless, because they are compassionate and because they know what it is like to be hungry and sleep on the street. Women who understand what is needed from our mental health services because 70% of people in prison have two or more diagnosable mental health problems and 25% of women in prison have had psychosis. To have a robust, representative democracy we need to have representatives from every sector of society, we need to hear from a diversity of voices. We have far too many white, male, Oxbridge PPE graduates who have only ever worked in Westminster on our green benches. Only 22% of our MPs are women – hopefully this time next week, there’ll be far more. For our democracy to thrive, to be democratic, it needs to reflect the demos, the people. I think if more nurses, teachers, bus drivers, prison officers became politicians we wouldn’t be struggling with so much political disengagement.

There may be external or internal voices that hold us back from engaging with politics or stepping out in leadership in this arena. I’ve found it hugely helpful to get some women around me who can encourage me and cheerlead for me. Find people who you can trust to help remove the barriers within yourself to achievement, who can hold hope for you when you’ve lost it, who can challenge, who can praise and love you well. Then get involved: talk to friends about politics, google to find out what the party you sympathise with is doing in your area, join them for a few hours, give financially to a candidate that you know or have heard is good, be active in political debates on social media, don’t just petition your MP or local councillors on an issue you care about, consider becoming one yourself.

There are many ways to get involved in politics, as Christians, as women, but whatever you do – get involved. Someone is going to run the country, why not you? If you believe in the kingdom coming on this earth, if you want to see equality, justice and restoration breaking out this side of heaven, then get political.

Sara Hyde is a leading left-wing thinker on women and the criminal justice system. She has worked in prisons for seven years and currently works with women leaving custody. Sara tweets about prisons, justice, arts, feminism and faith here: @SaraKHyde.

November 01, 2014

The year was 1875. Trillions of locusts swarmed through nearly 200,000 square miles across the American Midwest and literally ate everything—from gardens and fields to fence posts and the verywool off of live sheep. Entire livelihoods of families were destroyed, leaving them completely impoverished. Even though this plague of locusts happened in a time and era that seems long gone, there is a new plague of locusts that has invaded our modern world—the everyday plague of violence.

You are probably very aware of the poverty in the world. What you may not be so familiar with is the violence that exists across the developing world. Have you ever considered that these two injustices are directly correlated to one another? In the compelling, even revolutionary book The Locust Effect, Gary Haugen (CEO and President of International Justice Mission) argues that the end of poverty will also see the end of violence. Threat of violence is part of everyday life for the poor—just as much as hunger, disease or malnutrition.

Consider this scenario: you are walking to your car after dinner with a friend and are attacked. Your attacker demands all the money you have on hand. You see a gun appear and the attacker says you will be killed if you refuse. What do you do? The truth is, the developing world has functional justice systems that are aimed to protect the people. Certainly, these systems are not perfect and there are occasions where they do not function at their best. However, in the developing world, the justice systems do not protect the people at all. In fact, parents often teach their children to run from the police, rather than run to them for help.

There are many powerful stories described and appalling statistics conveyed in The Locust Effect. Perhaps the most powerful statistic being that there are 4 billion people in the world that live outside the protection of the law. Let that sink in for a second. That is 4 billion individual human lives that do not have the security of being protected from violence; 4 billion people, each with their own friends and families, are being held back from reaching their full potential due to fear. This staggering statistic has many implications. This means that 4 BILLION PEOPLE are at greater risk of being trafficked for labour or sexual exploitation, at risk of having their land confiscated, at risk of being wrongfully imprisoned. Injustice is birthed out of the law not doing its job—protecting the people. On the other hand, peace, justice, security and a good livelihood flourish when people are protected by the public justice systems.

This book is a call to arms, a wake up call for anyone who is passionate about ending injustice. Haugen takes the reader on a harrowing journey into the depths of poverty. Once you begin this journey - travelling into the darkness that is poverty and violence - there is no turning back. Haugen recounts the history of poverty and violence, while in the end also gives us hope and direction for the way forward.

It must be noted that this book is not for the faint hearted. At times, it may devastate you, break your heart but then embolden you to bring about change the world that we live in. As heavy as this read is, it does not leave you overtaken with grief. It leaves you with a sense of urgency and hope. Essentially, every justice worker wants to bring about structural change: to change the very structure of societies so that injustice can be obliterated even before it has a chance to begin. And structural change can only happen when public justice systems protect their people from the threat of every day violence. This book truly supplies us with the education we need to bring about this sustainable change that is desperately needed throughout the world.

July 01, 2013

This month Natalie Collins writes a review on the book Papa’s Little Girls by Lola Akindele.

Lola Akindele, who has an MA in creative and professional writing, writes Papa’s Little Girl. She also runs a social enterprise, which mentors young women. The book gives us a glimpse into the lives of 11 different women and girls, from older women, down to toddlers. The main character of each short story is of African or Caribbean descent and has experienced some level of abuse or trauma. The issues raised include child sexual abuse, teenage pregnancy, rape, domestic violence, stalking and exploitation through prostitution. Lola tells five stories, shares her poetry, and then tells a further six stories.

I must be honest and say this book isn’t one I would normally pick up and read. Working in the field of ending violence against women means I don’t usually read books on the subject unless it’s necessary or useful for work. The many stories I hear from those who are or have experienced abuse can be a source of vicarious trauma and so wherever possible I avoid books that will add to that.

I struggled with the writing style, it felt a bit overcrowded with similes and adjectives, but that may be due to my own preference, rather than a reflection of the author’s skill. Although the stories were raw and touched on many different and very traumatic incidents, they were purely a snapshot into women’s and girl’s lives, and it was difficult to read story after story of abuse, violence and trauma with no conclusion and seemingly no hope.

The poetry section was a welcome break from the painful stories being told. I found her poem “Black Girl, Black Girl” to be insightful and would love to read more of the author’s heart and experiences of judgement and the ways she has overcome and conquered stereotyping and the damage she has faced.

Following the poetry section were further stories of violence, abuse and degradation. Again the lack of conclusion or wider context made it difficult to feel any sense of hope. The stories themselves spoke of desolation and despair, but did not educate or challenge misconceptions, which I felt was a missed opportunity in a book about abuse, written from a Christian perspective.

The final story talks of a little girl who has been abused by her father and writes a letter to God. The last page is then a letter from God to His “dearest little girls”, the women and girls who had been written about throughout the book, and I would hazard a guess as also to the women and girls elsewhere who have experienced abuse. It begins by saying God loves them, is sorry they’ve been hurt and that He will take away their pain. Although I have personally experienced the healing love of God and know His power to redeem even the worst situations, the letter itself felt like an easy answer to the very complex and painful experiences of people’s lives.

Unfortunately because the book gives snapshots into women’s and girl’s lives it is difficult for the author to convey the hope or truth she was aiming for, which is a real shame as it has great potential. The book covers some really important topics, and unlike many other books on violence against women, the stories are all of women and girls of African or Caribbean origin. The courage of the author to write this book, and the need to have these issues discussed are its strongest points.

Natalie Collins set up Spark (www.sparkequip.org), is the creator of DAY (www.dayprogramme.org), and is an independent consultant working to prevent and respond to violence against women and enable others to do the same.

December 01, 2012

Sharon caught up with Stephanie and asked her questions about herself and the project she works forcalled 58i.

Tell us a little about yourself , Stephanie

I was born in St Albans,Hertfordshire a little over thirty years ago, and lived there until I was 18 when I went to the University of Nottingham to study history. I have stayed in Nottingham ever since! After finishing my degree, I spent a year volunteering with Tearfund and then worked for Nottinghamshire YMCA for four years before moving into my current job at the charity 58i.

I married the lovely Matt in May 2011 and we are part of Trent Vineyard Church in Nottingham. We love being part of a great small group, working on an allotment with friends, drinking tea, eating cake, and spending time with family. I am an aspiring crafter and attempting to improve my sewing and knitting skills, with mixed results!

What is your favourite Bible passage and why?

There are lots! Psalm 139 is one of my favourites. I often go back to Hosea chapter 2, particularly the second half. It talks about Israel’s sin and idolatry, walking away from God and forgetting Him. Then there’s a beautiful picture of God restoring Israel by leading her into the desert, speaking tenderly to her, and restoring their rightful relationship. I love the message of God’s love, compassion and jealousy for his people and the reminder that when we are in a spiritual desert, that is often where we hear God speak to us in a still, small and tender voice.

What does your work involve?

I am on the management team at 58i, a Christian charity in Nottingham working with people affected by poverty. This includes a homelessness project, a Nightstop scheme for young people at risk of homelessness, a CAP debt centre and more! My role is focused on the internal workings of the charity – policies and procedures, HR, fundraising etc. Working in a small charity offers the opportunity to gain experience in a wide range of areas, and I enjoy the variety in my job.

Although not strictly part of my work, I am also a trustee for the Jericho Road Project, working with women involved in prostitution in Nottingham. I have been a volunteer there for eight years, serving first on the outreach team where we meet women working on the streets in the red light district, offering food, a hot drink and a chat. I became a trustee earlier this year when the project became a registered charityand it is a real privilege to be involved.

What are some of the challenges in your work?

I have always found decision making tough so I think I would say that is my least favourite part of leadership! Typically this is because I lack confidence in my own opinions, but I also like to hear all the facts and opinions before moving forward on something. I like gathering information and researching an issue, and I don’t think that’s a bad thing. However, I do need to learn to go with my instincts sometimes, and make the best decision I can in the circumstances, then to go along with the results of that decision.

What would you tell a young woman with leadership skills to do in order to be an effective leader?

I think that it is really important to know your own mind and not be afraid to speak up. It can be easy when you are young to feel that your experiences and opinions are not as valid as those of someone older or more experienced – but actually, saying what you think can help someone else see things from a different perspective.

Find out what you are good at and what you enjoy, and then pursue those things.

Don’t attempt to imitate someone else’s leadership style – we are all different and can bring our own unique style to what we do.

Be genuine and be yourself. It makes it easier for people to trust you when they know they can be vulnerable and open about who they are.

I am working on all of the above!

What one thing have you not achieved in your leadership so far that you would like to achieve in the future?

On a personal level, I would like to continue to become more confident in my own skills and abilities. I have often struggled to see how I have a role in things and hesitate to put myself forward. Probably like many women, I am quick to see my own limitations and slow to challenge myself to step out into something new and (potentially) scary!

In terms of my work, I have a passion for professionalism in the voluntary sector. I have sometimes come across a belief that Christian charities and organisations cannot really participate in the public sphere because it might compromise the ethos of the organisation. However, I really think that Christian organisations can be true to their foundational beliefs but also engage with the ‘secular’ world and participate in a professional environment. Charities have a significant role to play in society and I hope to stay in the voluntary sector in the medium to long term.

It was great to get to know Stephanie a little more and let’s pray for her in her work and the work of the charity, as they seek to help the most vulnerable people at this time of the year.

October 11, 2012

MAKE A STAND... The International Day of the Girl 2012
11 October 2012 is not just an ordinary day. Supported by the United Nations, it is the first International Day of the Girl... ever! Its purpose is two-fold; celebrating the accomplishments of girls and highlighting the widespread global discrimination which still exists.
Really? Is it needed?
Unfortunately, yes. International charity PLAN’s Because I am a Girl campaign illustrates the injustices that people face across the world simply because of their gender:

• Because I am a Girl... I am more likely to be living in extreme poverty. 70% of the one billion people living in extreme poverty are women and girls.

• Because I am a Girl... I am three times more likely to be malnourished than boys.

• Because I am a Girl... I will probably not attend secondary school.

In the poorest countries of the world, 50% of girls do not attend secondary school.
This isn’t fair.
This isn’t right. And we need to do something about it.
Only two days ago, Malala Yusafzai, a 14-year-old education rights activist, was shot and injured while on her way home from school in Pakistan by the Taliban. Her crime? That she advocated that girls in her community should have the right to attend school just like their brothers.
Education is the key
Girls can break the cycle of poverty. With an education, girls are less likely to marry young and more likely to survive into adulthood. It empowers young women to make life choices for themselves and be transformation agents in their communities. Education is the key and it should be our focus on action on the International Day of the Girl.

So what can I do?
God call us to care. God call us to act justly. God calls us to demand change.
‘What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God’ (Micah Ch.6:4).
Sophia Network wholeheartedly supports the International Day of the Girl. Today, we ask you to speak out for young women like Malala by committing to five steps for change...

4. Pray: Use web resources as prayer guides. Pray individually, pray creatively or even form a prayer group and organise a prayer breakfast for your community. Do not underestimate the power of prayer.

5. Encourage someone: Look around... there are young women in our lives that need encouragement and prayer. Make it your mission to encourage someone today. Are you mentoring a younger woman? Perhaps God is asking you to?

Together we can be God’s agents of transformation in the world.
The time is now.

March 01, 2012

In June last year, the BBC screened a documentary called Poor Kids. Made by Jezza Neumann and Brian Woods at TrueVision, the programme showed what life is like for the 3.5million children who live in poverty in the UK. Three children from different areas of the country told their stories, covering various aspects of life including housing, income, holidays and food.

During the programme, 8-year-old Courtney showed us what's in her fridge - a bottle of milk, some margarine and two bottles of medicine. Later she talks about what she eats during the day: Courtney: For dinner we have a big version of a sausage rollInterviewer: What about breakfast? C: Nowt. Cos I sometimes forget to make myself some toast or something or we're going to be late for school.I: Do you ever go without lunch? C: I go without dinner when I'm at home but when I'm at school I get dinner. I have tea when I'm at home but I sometimes go without dinner because my mum hasn't got enough money and she owes people money.

According to the documentary, one in five children from low-income families say they sometimes go without food. Children from single parent families are twice as likely to miss meals.

Later on in the programme, 11-year-old Sam tells us that he's recently started receiving free meals at school. He says it's a good thing because he's getting fed, but the pressure on the family increases during holiday time, as his dad has to find £10 extra per week just to feed him. This is true for Sam and many other families; school holidays mean time off school, but bring additional struggles in terms of providing childcare whilst the parent is working, not having enough money to take the children to activities and having to find extra money for food.

It's these simple stories from Courtney and Sam that have inspired Lunch. Lunch aims to see the 1.2 million children who receive free meals at school fed during school holidays by local community groups and churches. It's not going to solve the whole problem of child poverty in the UK, but feeding children who might otherwise be hungry during the holidays seems like a good place to start. We’ve put together a how-to pack with plenty of information to help you do Lunch in your area, to gather your own team and provide meals for the families that need it in your community. You can read more about Lunch on our website and the pack is free to download at www.makelunch.org.uk/do_it

Last summer, three pilot projects ran in Corby, Luton and Grangetown, serving approximately 400 meals between them.

Nik and Shelly Stevenson were the first to start. Undeterred by the lack of a suitable building, they served meals from a gazebo on open land near the local shops.

July 27, 2011

Back in June, Rachel Warwick watched a TV documentary called Poor Kids and it had a profound effect on her.

She explains: 'Three children from across the UK tell us what life is like for the 3.5 million children who live below the poverty line in this country. As you'd expect from kids, they do tell it like it is and the result is eye-opening, moving and challenging. Sam (11) from Leicester, Paige (8) from Glasgow and Courtney (7) from Bradford, share their feelings about the situations they live in as well as the facts. Personally I found it extremely challenging and I was left with a real sense that I had to do something. But poverty is a huge and multifaceted problem, and 3.5 million children is a fairly overwhelming number. After much discussing, thinking and pondering, Lunch was born.

Lunch is a new project which aims to see churches and other community groups providing meals during the school holidays for the children in their area who are registered for free meals at school in term time. This was an issue highlighted in the programme, that other than these meals the children often don't eat much else and the 6 week summer holiday places considerable extra pressure on parents who have to find additional money to feed their kids.'

Poor Kids is showing again on BBC3 tonight at 9pm and will be available on iplayer for a week or so afterwards. There's more information about the documentary on the BBC website, including a clip of Courtney talking about her expectations for her future. There's also an article about the programme on the Guardian website with another clip.

Lunch are running pilot projects in Luton and Corby this year. You can read more on the Make Lunch website, families can sign up on the Get Lunch website and you can give to the project through the Grassroots website which will enable them to claim giftaid. (Grassroots employs Rachel to run Orison prayer spaces in schools.) £1 will provide a meal for one child for one day; £30 will feed a child five days a week for the summer holidays. Leave a note with your donation to say what it's for. We look forward to hearing from Rachel about how it goes this summer and wish her and her team all the best.

March 26, 2009

Ctrl.Alt.Shift is a new youth initiative from Christian Aid which aims to be an interactive community of young people who are active in the fight against global injustice and poverty. Members can upload their own content to the site and the emphasis is on encouraging people to be proactive.

Ctrl.Alt.Shift produces a well-designed magazine which is distributed free through clubs and shops. The most recent edition is on Gender and Power and you can download it here. The editorial begins, 'Millions of people all over the world are downtrodden, victimised and taken advantage of - we all know that. But which group of people do you reckon are the most discriminated against? Is it people with the 'wrong' colour skin? Or people born in the 'wrong' class? Actually it's people who are the 'wrong' sex. Women are the world's poorest, most marginalised and discriminated against people on the planet.' With articles on girl power in Iran, female genital mutilation and the 50 million missing women in India, it's not an easy read but I think it's an important one. I liked this comment from Riz Ahmed in his column: 'We need to stop thinking of women's rights as something that just affects women. It stops everyone from reaching their full potential. If we can tackle the discrimination of women, we can reach society's economic potential, its self-sufficiency and its political reform. Until then we are limiting what we can be.'

March 02, 2009

Our first morning in Cambodia, we sat in a jet-lagged haze, as the wonderful Kate Pieper from World Relief briefed us on the next few days ahead. One of the highlights of the trip was to be a night in a village with a Cambodian family, giving us a small taste of what it’s like to be female, poor and HIV positive in this country - something that I felt excited about but also slightly nervous. That apprehension grew when Kate explained that we would be taken there on the back of motorbikes, as the roads to the villages weren’t good enough for a car. And when she produced brightly coloured sarongs and explained that there would be no toilets so we would need these to preserve our modesty as we peed in a field and washed in public by the water pump, I did wonder what we were letting ourselves in for.

The trip was organised by Tearfund for women in the UK to experience something of what life is like for women in a developing country. The nine of us, three from the Sophia Network, hardly knew each other at the start, but quickly bonded through sharing such an amazing experience. The first few days we visited some of the villages where World Relief works. We met women in a care group who pass on health education to their peers using laminated cards with pictures on. Each of them is responsible for visiting ten to 15 local families and their confidence, health, status and relationships with their husbands have all improved as a result. We sat in on an HIV education session for boys led by a young Muslim guy who bravely talked about how to stay free of the virus, with a condom demonstration, and didn’t seem at all phased by us sitting on the back rows. We watched as some energetic children’s workers held the attention of around 200 kids as they taught them about safety and God’s love, while parents and villagers round the edges also took it all in.

November 18, 2008

The Global Gender Gap Report 2008 reveals that Norway is the country
that has been most successful in closing the equality gap between men
and women. The UK comes 13th having dropped two places in the last
year, and Ireland is up one place in 8th. The report is published by
the World Economic Forum and comments on 130 countries which cover 92%
of the world's population. It measures the size of the gender gap in
four critical areas of inequality between men and women, looking at how
countries share resources and opportunities between their male and
female population:

August 15, 2008

Tom and Christine Sine have been long-time champions of people making a
difference in their local communities in ways that may seem
insignificant but are rich with kingdom potential. Their Mustard Seed
Associates site 'provides resources and a network for committed
followers of Jesus to
anticipate the future, decode the culture, convey the Kingdom of God ,
and create new ways of being a difference and make a difference.'

And on its blog, Christine writes
about the inequalities experienced by women in developing countries,
giving links to other articles and information. The factsheet on
gender-based violence in the Middle East is sobering and I loved this prayer for the world's women.

'One person in eight is a girl or young woman age 10–24. Young people
are the fastest growing segment of the population in developing
countries, and their welfare is a fundamental input for key economic
and social outcomes -- including the size and competitiveness of
tomorrow's labor force, future economic growth, improved governance,
and healthy civil societies.

But girls in developing countries are in trouble. They face
systematic disadvantages over a wide range of welfare indicators,
including health, education, nutrition, labor force participation, and
the burden of household tasks. Because of deprivation and
discriminatory cultural norms, many poor girls are forced to marry at
very young ages and are extraordinarily vulnerable to HIV, sexual
violence, and physical exploitation. Lacking a full range of economic
opportunities and devalued because of gender bias, many girls are seen
as unworthy of investment or protection by their families.'

Because girls are so discriminated against globally, a campaign that
focuses on them won't ignore or disadvantage boys; it will just help to
redress the balance and hopefully move towards girls and boys being
treated more equally. Some of the stats quoted are quite remarkable.
For example, women who earn money will invest 90% of it in the
well-being of their family; men will invest 35%. Find out more at the Girl Effect website.

March 09, 2008

International Women’s Day falls on 8 March each year and is a good
opportunity to remind ourselves of the challenges facing women in
developing countries. This year ActionAid have published a report
called Hit or Miss which highlights the disproportionate effect of
poverty on the lives of women and children and which argues that if the
Millennium Development Goals are to be met, then a focus on women is
essential and systematic discrimination against women and girls needs
to be tackled. You can download the report from the ActionAid site here.

The statistics highlighted by ActionAid are sobering:

Women grow 60% of the world’s food but own 1% of the land.

60% of people with HIV and AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa are women.

70% of those living in poverty around the world are women.

One in five women will be subject to rape or attempted rape during her lifetime.

41 million girls worldwide are still denied a primary education and two thirds of the world’s illiterate young people are women.

In Pakistan and India, girls have a 30-50% higher chance of dying before their fifth birthday than boys.

Women
and children in Africa spend 40 billion hours collecting water per year
– equivalent to a year’s labour for France’s entire workforce.

You can find out more about the work that ActionAid is doing on women’s rights here.

One of my dreams for the Sophia Network is that while we support and
encourage one another here, we’ll be able to take positive action to
connect with women in developing countries whose challenges make ours
fade into insignificance.